Atriplex griffithsii (Griffith's Saltbush)
Family
CHENOPODIACEAE
Synonyms
ATRIPLEX LENTIFORMIS (TORREY) S. WATSON SSP. GRIFFITHSII (STANDLEY) HALL & CLEMENTS; A. LENTIFORMIS VAR. GRIFFITHSII (STANDLEY) L. BENSON; A. TORREYI S. WATSON VAR. GRIFFITHSII (STANDLEY) BROWN
Common Name
Griffith's Saltbush
| USFWS | State of NM | USFS | BLM | Navajo Nation | State Rank | Global Rank | R-E-D Code | NMRPTC Status | Strategy Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | G2G3 | 1-2-2 | R | SS |
| Overall Conservation Status | Documented Threats | Actions Needed |
|---|---|---|
| WEAKLY CONSERVED | No Information |
Surveys to determine distribution and abundance; document threat impacts. |
Description
Gray-green shrub to 1 m tall, much-branched; leaves short-petiolate or sessile, elliptic-ovate to narrowly oblong, about 1-2 cm long, grayish with a fine scurf; plants unisexual, the flowers in small clusters in more or less profuse terminal panicles; staminate perianth 4- or 5-cleft, minute; pistillate flowers without perianth; fruiting bracts broadly heart-shaped, flat or convex on sides, united at base, 4-5 mm long, 4-6 mm wide. Flowers August and September.
Similar Species
The common four-wing saltbush, A. canescens, is the only other large shrubby saltbush in the area. Its fruiting bracts have four well-developed wings.
Distribution
New Mexico, Luna and Hidalgo counties; southeastern Arizona, Cochise County.
Habitat
Saline playa margins where plants are not submerged for long periods of time.
Remarks
This shrub is common on playa margins within its area of geographic distribution, acting as a seral species in disturbed areas. It is not known whether the species is present in similar habitats in adjacent Mexico. The species was not treated in Martin and Hutchin's, A Flora of New Mexico.
Conservation Considerations
Many Atriplex provide excellent forage in arid lands. There is no information as to the forage value of this species or how it responds to intensive browsing.
Important Literature
*New Mexico Native Plants Protection Advisory Committee. 1984. A handbook of rare and endemic plants of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
*Carter, J.L. 1997. Trees and shrubs of New Mexico. Mimbres Publishing Co., Silver City, New Mexico.
*Wagner, W.L. and E.F. Aldan. 1978. Manual of the saltbushes (Atriplex spp.) in New Mexico. General Technical Report RM-57. USDA-Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Information Compiled By
Richard Spellenberg 1999
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico